True, the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member created some of the program's most memorable characters — diva-esque Mango; one-half of the head-bobbing, disco-dancing Butabi Brothers (with Will Ferrell); and the monkeylike Mr. Peepers to name just three.

And a new generation may know him better as Bob, the needy character from ABC's “The Middle,” starring Patricia Heaton, or from his big-screen roles.

But that's not the whole picture, and that's what makes this stand-up comedy weekend a real treat.

“The new character is me,” Kattan says about his new physical stand-up comedy act. “I'm doing what I do but on a stand-up stage.”

Kattan, 41, makes his first appearance at Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club tonight with comedians Jeffrey Richards and Barry Rothbart. It's being billed as Chris Kattan & Friends and runs through Sunday; two shows Friday and Saturday.

The Groundlings alumnus (he started when he was 19) is new to stand-up.

“My way of creating is through improvisation,” Kattan explained. “I never really knew how to tell a joke. I could never remember them. I was always better having air come out of my mouth.”

He'd been approached to do stand-up for years. But it just “hadn't felt 100 percent right.'

“It's a challenge. It's very exciting. It's not something I'm falling back on,” Kattan said. “I'm still working it out. Every time I perform, I learn something new. Now I'm using all my (comedy) muscles.”

He develops his physical act — there's lots of movement and dancing, he says — by “building a momentum to the material.” He's received some rave reviews.

About his “SNL” past: “I poke fun at it,” he said.

“The fans are so sweet. I never realized how much they liked me. It makes me think the body of work isn't so bad.”